Freebie orange pompoms waved in rhythm with the music. The orange-clad, sellout crowd — finally freed from Peyton Manning's orders to stay quiet — let loose with loud, uninhibited roars. Sports Authority Field at Mile High shook from the Broncos' logo at midfield to the highest seat way up in section 535.

Start spreadin' the news: For the first time in 15 years, the Broncos are going to the Super Bowl. Where have you gone, John Elway?

Oh, wait a minute. Elway the five-time AFC champion quarterback is now Elway the AFC champion front-office executive. This latest trip to the NFL championship game was earned by taking the most honorable of final steps: The Broncos defeated the nearly dynastic New England Patriots 26-16 on a made-for-Peyton warm Sunday afternoon in the AFC title game.

Nearly an hour after Manning took a knee on the game's final play, the all-pro quarterback excused himself from his brothers Eli and Cooper, who were hanging out at his locker, and shuffled toward the shower.

"I'm definitely happy for that guy," said Orlando Franklin, who as the Broncos' right tackle dresses across the locker room from Manning. "He silenced a lot of critics today. I don't know if there's any person that works harder than he does."

Wonder what Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay thinks about Manning going to the Super Bowl for the third time in eight years. It's the seventh Super Bowl for the Broncos, starting with the 1977 season. Super Bowl XLVIII is Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Denver's opponent is the Seattle Seahawks, who beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game 23-17.

It's the first "cold weather" Super Bowl in NFL history, and who better to participate than the team from Denver with its glove-handed quarterback?

"He is a great player and he played great today," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said.

The temperature was a toasty 63 degrees at first kickoff before a gathering of 77,110. They witnessed Manning outperform Brady. This is supposedly news, for it was only Manning's fifth victory in 15 head-to-head meetings against his Patriots nemesis.

But this matchup wasn't close. Manning finished 32-of-43 passing for 400 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. To a man, his teammates were happy for him. They understood that only Manning has been criticized for not winning enough in the playoffs. Only Manning was individually ripped for not beating Brady enough.

"It's football, it's not the Ryder Cup," said Archie Manning, a former NFL star QB and the family patriarch. "Football is a team."

Yes, but ...

"Playing quarterback, there's certainly a number of things that come along with it," Peyton said. "You have to try to keep levelheaded after a win, after a loss. You can't get too high or too low. That advice has served me well. I'm glad my teammates were happy for me — I'm happy for them. This truly has been a team this year.

"You have to eventually focus on doing your job when you're playing quarterback. That's what I was focused on today. Nothing more than that."

New England was down 23-3 before Brady took the ball for the first time in the fourth quarter. He then smartly led two touchdown drives against a prevent-type Denver defense. Brady never quits, but on this day he had too many misfires.

Denver's John Fox outcoached Bill Belichick — you have to play faster earlier, Bill, to keep up with Peyton — and Denver defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio schemed the game of his life.

The Broncos not only beat the Patriots, they beat back the demons from last year's horrific playoff loss to Baltimore.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) directs the offense during the AFC championship game Sunday. Manning passed for once touchdown during the first half. More photos. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

"If we had to lose that game, I'm happy the way we lost," Franklin said. "It definitely made us a stronger team this year. It made us refocus."

Manning, meanwhile, continues to beat back his stubborn critics who insist on holding up his legacy for more jewelry. Manning is one step from capping the greatest quarterback season since the league was formed in 1920. In its 94th season, the league now has a QB who has thrown for 59 touchdowns and 6,107 yards while compiling a 15-3 record that includes a clutch victory when it counted most, against the mighty Patriots.

Manning engineered two touchdown drives Sunday that took up more than seven minutes of game clock each. Those drives lasted a combined 28 plays, traveled a combined 173 yards and were finished by short Manning touchdown passes.

Now it's on to the neutral site of MetLife Stadium — which is the home of the New York Giants and Peyton's younger brother Eli — against the Seahawks.

When the Broncos and their enthusiastic fans left their stadium Sunday afternoon, it mattered not who they'd play. Only that they will. It's all lining up to be Peyton's greatest season.